We are so excited to welcome our 2018 Summer Associates. I wanted to take a moment to officially introduce them on the blog. Right after orientation, they will be sharing the next nine weeks with you here! We can’t wait to see what the summer. . .although, we are hoping for a little less rain here in Miami.

As one of the two Summer Associates returning to Bilzin Sumberg for a second summer, I have the honor of writing the first blog post! While I was participating in the recruitment process, I used the blog to get an idea of what the summer program here is like. As a two-time summer associate, I am happy to help spread the word about the great summer program here at Bilzin Sumberg. Continue Reading It’s Great to be Back!

Yesterday, we welcomed the 2017 Summer Associates (and bloggers!) to Bilzin Sumberg. I’m excited to welcome back Hannah and Lauren and introduce to you Alex, Forrest, Eric and Luis. Throughout the course of the summer, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from them about their experience at Bilzin Sumberg – from work assignments, tag alongs, training and mentors to social events.

We have a lot planned and we are all looking forward to next couple of months together!

Monday was a very special day for Jessica, Brendan, Anthony and me, as it marked the very first day of our legal careers! After spending the first half of our summer vigorously studying for the Florida Bar Examination, we each enjoyed well-deserved breaks afterwards. With two months of world traveling, beach-going, and catching up on much needed sleep behind us, we all felt refreshed and ready to embark on this new chapter: returning to Bilzin Sumberg as first-year associates! Knowing that we would be the very first class to have the privilege of going through The Academy for Professional Development made our return to Bilzin Sumberg all the more special.

Our first day was incredibly memorable. Despite it having been over a year since our summer associate program ended, walking back into Bilzin Sumberg felt as warm and welcoming as ever. We began the day with a welcome presentation from Managing Partner, John Sumberg, regarding the firm’s history, vision and commitment to community involvement throughout Miami. We then delved straight into our first interactive program of The Academy, led by University of Miami professor and mindfulness expert, Scott Rogers. This program introduced us to the practice of mindfulness, described as being present in the moment, rather than allowing outside thoughts to shift our focus and pull us away from the task at hand. We practiced meditation techniques to help quell outside thoughts that would otherwise interfere with our complete engagement in the present. Understanding that we are in control of our own thoughts was empowering. If we are practicing mindfulness, it is our choice whether we are focused or distracted. I can’t wait to incorporate these meditation techniques into my legal practice!

The rest of our day proved to be just as impactful. We were fortunate to have lunch with the second-year associates, who imparted words of wisdom and advice. We attended an inspiring program by the dynamic Werten Bellamy titled, “The Indispensable Associate.” I think it’s safe to say that we all used our newly attained mindfulness techniques to help internalize Werten’s powerful message. He gave practical and sound advice on how to take ownership of our careers and seize on opportunities to become an indispensable associate. Our first day would not have been complete without a 10@ with Marshall Pasternack to share insights and remind us that a shot not taken is a goal not scored. The day ended with a welcome happy hour at the very trendy and beautifully designed Wynwood restaurant Made in Italy. It was so great to be reunited with Jessica, Brendan and Anthony, and to reconnect with everyone at Bilzin Sumberg that had made our summer experience so impactful. With such a transformative first day, I can’t wait to see what the next two weeks has in store!

The very first day of orientation, the summer associates were introduced to the concept of tag alongs. Bilzin Sumberg provides opportunities for us to shadow experienced attorneys as they interact with clients, learning by observing. We were asked to rank practice groups in order of personal interest, allowing Jessica Buchsbaum to assign the experiences in order of priority as they arise.

The “freshman fifteen” is a staple of any memorable college experience. You’re living out of the house for the first time, and the amount of fat in the one dish you know how to “cook” is surpassed only by its MSG content. You’re just a swipe away from the dining hall’s endless array of every fried dish you can possibly imagine, and you’re the only one stopping yourself from indulging in that second, third, or even fourth dessert.

As we end our first week at Bilzin Sumberg, my fellow summer associates and I have encountered similar gluttonous temptations. Thursday and Friday mornings’ legal writing seminars were accompanied by breakfast spreads that could’ve fed a summer class twice our size. Thursday evening’s library happy hour included a plethora of delicious finger foods and beverages, both of the adult and non-adult varieties. Finally, Friday afternoon’s bakeoff featured desserts that would’ve impressed Gordon Ramsay, and I’m not just saying that because Jessica Buchsbaum was a star competitor.

The latter half of my first week at Bilzin Sumberg was over before I knew it. Between the social activities, trainings, and first assignments Geoff, Frankie, Hannah, Jenny, Lauren, Claudia and I grew even more excited for what is to come. As we parted ways to enjoy our Memorial Day Weekend, I realized that the seven of us have a wealth of information to reflect on during our time off. Not only did we receive practical training in our first week at the Firm, we received great advice from the Firm’s former successful summer associates and experienced attorneys.

On the third day of the summer associate program, we had lunch with first year associates Leah Aaronson, Jerry Goldsmith, and Jared Spector, who are also summer associate alumni. They offered us some “uncensored” advice on the summer associate program, which put us at ease while also inspiring us to take full advantage of our summer at Bilzin Sumberg. It was extremely beneficial to get to ask questions of people who were in our shoes recently, and to get insight as to life as a young attorney at Bilzin Sumberg. Continue Reading Sound Advice for Our Summer in the Magic City

It was 10 A.M. Monday morning when a confident young professional swaggered through the doors of 1450 Brickell Avenue ready to tackle every obstacle within his path . . . I then scurried through the doors closely behind him to avoid the doors slamming in my face on my first day. Excited, but admittedly a little nervous, the anticipation heightened as the elevator climbed to “23.” With irrational confidence, I emerged from the elevator prepared to begin my journey as a Summer Associate at Bilzin Sumberg.

I was immediately greeted by the smiling faces of my fellow summer associates. Although we had been assembled from law schools across the country, it felt as though we had known each other for months thanks to our e-mail correspondence. (Our immediate familiarity may have also had something to do with our casual get-together over cocktails at Batch Gastropub the night before.) After some quick icebreakers courtesy of our summer guru, Jessica Buchsbaum, Elise, Geoff, Hannah, Jenny, Claudia, Lauren, and I were thrust into orientation

Although many of the matters discussed throughout the next three days were brand new to me, our legal “dream team” of Jay Sakalo, Alicia Ortiz, David Trench, and Eric Singer provided us with crash courses in everything we needed to know. (Update: The training has paid off and the building is still standing as we near the close of our first week.) After hours of training, we felt like kids on Christmas morning as we were ushered into our summer offices with picturesque views of downtown Miami.

The meet-and-greet portion of orientation shifted into overdrive at the wine and cheese reception that the Firm organized in our honor. It was here that our impressive mentors were given the opportunity to introduce their respective mentees to the ENTIRE firm. Soon after, we introduced ourselves more intimately to a batch of attorneys with resumes more impressive than Jared Spector’s Bar Exam score. Conversations flowed naturally as and I quickly realized that this summer was going to be special. Now, it’s time to get back to work.

We are excited to welcome our 2016 Summer Associates! Today, they participated in orientation, computer training and will be ready to begin working (and blogging!) soon. We have a robust summer planned and know that they will have the opportunity to learn a lot and develop strong relationships this summer.

Check back weekly to follow their summer experience at Bilzin Sumberg.

It’s only Tuesday, but it’s been an exciting week at Bilzin Sumberg. On Monday we were thrilled to welcome home the 2014 blogging summer associates – Leah Aaronson, Desiree Fernandez, Jerry Goldsmith, and Jared Spector. They’ve officially transitioned from summer associates to first year associates, had a full day of orientation, and settled into their offices.

As if that wasn’t enough, we celebrated their admission to the Florida Bar with their families. Today, we were lucky to have Chief Judge John W. Thornton, Jr. administer the Oath of Admission to our newest associates and the festivities continued with a group lunch at La Loggia. After all, it’s not a celebration without tiramisu!

Our first years are off to a great start!

The first year associates pose with The Honorable John W. Thornton, Jr.

About Bilzin Sumberg

Bilzin Sumberg offers a collegial atmosphere, presenting our lawyers the opportunity to provide creative, innovative legal counsel on sophisticated, complex matters. Joining the Bilzin Sumberg team means developing a career in an energetic, fast-paced environment while working alongside attorneys who are nationally recognized in their practice areas. Our attorneys have been established in the legal community for decades and the firm enjoys a strong reputation within the legal community as being one of Florida’s preeminent commercial law firms.